“We tried like hell to get him,” former Jets coach Eric Mangini, who pushed for the trade when he was head coach, told the network.

According to Cimini, the Jets offered defensive end John Abraham to the Atlanta Falcons for Schaub in a straight-up proposal. New York was despondent at the position with Chad Pennington coming off a second shoulder operation, ESPN notes.

Schaub, at the time, was a backup in Atlanta to Michael Vick, although he flashed enough potential when Vick was injured to warrant consideration from around the league.

The Falcons eventually got Abraham, but not for Schaub — for the 29th pick in the draft, which the Jets used to select Nick Mangold.

Schaub, meanwhile, eventually signed a big deal with the Houston Texans, who just so happen to be the Jets opponent this week.